What to Do If an Automatic Transmission Doesn't Have a P Gear for Parking?
2 Answers
When parking an automatic transmission car, you can first engage the handbrake or shift to N gear, but there are situations where you should first engage the handbrake. The P gear is essentially a neutral gear with a parking mode. In P gear mode, the car's transmission and engine are completely disconnected, which is similar in principle to engaging the handbrake and shifting to N gear.
My old automatic transmission car doesn't have a P (Park) gear either. Here's how I operate it every time I park: First, step on the brake to bring the vehicle to a complete stop, then shift the gear to neutral (N), pull up the handbrake firmly to ensure the car won't roll, and finally turn off the engine, remove the key, and leave. When encountering uphill or downhill road surfaces, I additionally turn the steering wheel to let the wheels rest against the curb stone, adding an extra layer of safety. Experienced drivers all know that when the transmission's mechanical locking function is missing, it's all up to the handbrake system to do the job. Regularly checking whether the handbrake cable is rusted or stuck is particularly important. Once, I forgot to maintain it, resulting in insufficient handbrake force, and the car slid half a meter on a slope—fortunately, it didn't hit anything.
